About Us

Dubray Books is one of Ireland's leading independent booksellers. We began as a single shop in the seaside town of Bray in Co. Wicklow, just outside Dublin.

Founded by Helen Clear, the Bray Bookshop on the Quinsboro Road rapidly became a fixture in the town. In 1988 Mrs. Clear sold the business to her daughter- and son-in-law, Gemma and Kevin Barry, and the business remains in family hands to this day.

The new owners decided to develop the company further, beginning with a move to larger premises on Bray's Main Street. In 1990 we took the bold step of opening The Dublin Bookshop on Dublin's premier shopping street, Grafton Street. Building on the success of the Dublin Bookshop, we opened shops in Rathmines and Kilkenny in 1994, and the burgeoning group took the name Dubray Books.

The flagship of the group, the new shop extends across three floors, and is a popular location for book launches, signings and other events. The 2003 acquisition of Bookstop in Blackrock and Dun Laoghaire Shopping Centres brought the group up to eight bookshops.